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Bottle Gentian

Gentiana andrewsii

Summary 2

Gentiana andrewsii, the bottle gentian, closed gentian, or closed bottle gentian, is an herbaceous species of flowering plant in the gentian family Gentianaceae. Gentiana andrewsii is native to northeastern North America, from the Dakotas to the East Coast and through eastern Canada.

Description 3

Family:
Gentianaceae (Gentian)

Height:
1 to 2 feet

Leaves:
Waxy, opposite, and lance-shaped, no teeth, 3 veins, leaf edges often curl upward forming a trough

Flower:
5 blue petals are fused, creating a bottle-shaped flower (1-1.5 inches), flowers form clusters at top of stem

Bloom time:
August-October

Nicknames:
Blue Bottle Gentian, Closed Bottle Gentian, Barrel Gentian, Blind Gentian, Andrew’s Gentian

Habitat:
Wet meadows, marshes, shrub swamps, lakeshores, streambanks

Wildlife Benefits:
Attractive nectar source for bumblebees; they are one of the only types of insects that are able to force the petals apart to get inside

Can I plant this in my garden?
Bottle gentian is a beautiful, late-season flower and is suitable for gardens with moist to wet soils. Plant in part shade to sun.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/bottle-gentian

Range 3

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
  2. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentiana_andrewsii
  3. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map

Family Gentianaceae
Habit Forb
Origin native
Life cycle perennial
Flower blue, purple
Bloom time (8) August, (9) September, 10 - October
*sites Snail Lake
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